From business manager to hotel manager, from Poland to Paris, and now Senior Program Performance Manager at Expedia: former Tio student Menno Djie has followed a varied path. One thing is certain: he still uses what he learned during his Hotel and Event Management studies at Tio on a daily basis.
Menno once dreamed of becoming a pilot, but was not accepted into the programme. So he started looking for alternatives. Menno: ‘The stories of my sisters, who both attended hotel school, appealed to me. For convenience, I dropped language subjects in secondary school. That got in my way. I had to take a language course to be admitted, but I didn't want to do that. That's how I ended up at Tio.’
That choice turned out to be a great match. ‘The atmosphere at Tio felt good, and Hotel and Event Management immediately appealed to me as a fun study programme. I like to be practical, and Tio is known for its connection to real-world practice. Because of the tuition fees, my parents insisted that I be 100% certain of my choice. But I was confident right away.’
Highlights from his student days
Menno threw himself into student life: he became a member and chairman of the Cognatio student association at the Amsterdam campus. "That was a fun time. Not only did I do fun things, but I also learned to run a small organisation with a group of fellow students. We worked closely with the school's management. That allowed me to build up a good network, which I still maintain today.‘ He also spent a semester in Krakow on an Erasmus exchange. ’A wonderful experience."
The practical projects also left a lasting impression on him. ‘During Hotel and Event Week, you and your fellow students take over a Stayokay location and welcome real guests. It's an exhausting week, but also very challenging and educational.’ He also looks back very positively on his internships. From his management internship in the first year to a role at SAIL Amsterdam, where he was responsible for logistics, later in his studies. ‘Companies were always very happy with Tio students because they are go-getters. Young people who want to get ahead.’
From Paris to Warsaw to Antwerp to Amsterdam
In 2015, Menno graduated and started working at his brother-in-law's restaurant and event location. ‘I had already been working there part-time during my studies, and after graduating, I became the manager. I combined both hospitality and event management, which was really cool. But I was also curious about more. That's why, after a while, I moved to the French hotel chain Louvre Hotels.’
Menno held management positions at hotels in Paris, Poland and Antwerp. ‘It was a great learning experience, especially when I supervised a hotel renovation in Belgium and helped restart all the processes. Still, I noticed that the work culture didn't quite suit me. I wanted to return to Amsterdam and build a foundation there.’
He succeeded in doing so at Expedia, where he started as an account manager in 2019. "After that, I took on various project roles to get to know the organisation more broadly. And since this year, I have been Senior Programme Performance Manager, coordinating a loyalty programme for hotel partners. Sometimes it feels like I have my own hotel: I work in a compact team and am involved in all aspects of running my own business."
Passion for sport and entrepreneurship
Running a business is something he also did outside of his work at Expedia. "Sport is an important thread running through my life; I have been giving group training for a long time. During the coronavirus pandemic, all gyms closed. I started giving group lessons in Vondelpark. I set up an online platform where fitness enthusiasts could book sports lessons. That worked well for two years. Eventually, I decided to stop because it conflicted with my own training. But I'm taking the entrepreneurial experience with me.‘
Together with his wife, he dreams of owning his own gym. ’Will that ever happen? Who knows. For now, it's not in the plans. I get enough energy from my work and the training I do."
Seize every opportunity
Independence, reliability and a hands-on mentality: that is what Menno developed at Tio. ‘I often hear that people only have to ask me something once, and they know it will be taken care of. That's ingrained in me. During my studies, I learned that you are responsible for your own success.’
He wants to pass this on to current Tio students. ‘Never forget to communicate. Speak up. About what you're good at, but also about what you're struggling with. And ask for help; that's what the lecturers are there for. Make use of all the knowledge and connections that Tio has to offer. That's how you'll really get ahead. It's a shame to miss out on those opportunities!’